The Forbidden Alpha

Shane

Fury blossomed beneath my veins and I roared my rage to the heavens as I stood above the bodies. There had been no other choice, no other way, no other path I could have taken but it still rattled me. Emotion bubbled in my chest and threatened to make my eyes water and pull me to my knees. I refused to cry and I stifled the thought to cry for the lives I’d taken tonight.

The Goddess had blessed my path and I couldn’t stray from it, even if I had wanted to. Earlier, I had set out with my men with the intention of killing my father and taking back what was rightfully mine. I’d been denied my birthright for far too long and I couldn’t let another day go by. I deserved my pack, I deserved my queen, I deserved my family, I needed it. My actions here proved I’d do anything to get what I wanted. Nothing would come in the way of me getting it back.

Tonight, I’d risen above my asshole father and I’d accomplished the goal I’d set my mind on the past few months. I finally killed him. With him out of the way, I would take his place, no, my rightful place. There was no time to mourn, no time to cry for my loss, no time for the guilt over my actions to bring me to my knees. My chest hurt and my mind struggled to make sense of the flashback that hurled through my mind.

~~~

Not bothering to close the door behind me, I stepped into the living room and only had a few moments to look around before a loud noise dragged my attention to the stairs. My mother rushed to me with open arms as she ran down the stairs.

Her eyes watered as she took in my face. She’d gotten tinier if that was possible, and her hair had grown longer. She sobbed as she crashed into me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame and hugged her back.

Heavier footsteps rushed down the stairs and I locked eyes with my father. It had only been a few months but he’d gotten older. He was still a large man, but his eyes looked tired, his face was gaunt. The mistrust and disappointment in his glare would have bothered me, had I been the young pup he remembered. I was no longer that little pup.

“Get away from him, Rose!” My father ordered. His back straightened, his eyes grazing over my body as he searched for a weakness. When he found none, he met my gaze, and a low grown sounded from his chest.

No greeting for the son he threw out. My mother ignored him, she looked up at me, her hand caressing my cheek like she did when I was a child. “He’s home, Josh. We haven’t seen him in months, let me hold our son,” she cried. Tears filled her eyes as she searched my face, for what, I couldn’t say.

“He’s no son of mine and he’s here during an invasion,” my father hissed. “Our people are being slaughtered, we’re being attacked by rogues! Who do you think led them here? He’s here to kill me and take over. Now, get away from him, Rose!” Mother’s expression didn’t change, she continued to caress my cheek and gave me a sad smile.

“I have missed you every day that you’ve been gone, my pup. I love you.

The front door slammed against the wall as Devin ran past me in his wolf form. My mother watched as he ran up the stairs. She gave me one last look before she stepped away from me. When she was far enough away, my father grabbed her and dragged her over to the couch.

“You lost your right to this pack when you were exiled,” Father said.

“You mean when that prick took what was mine?” I growled.

“Adea is his mate! She is his and his alone!”

“She’s MINE,” I growled. “You didn’t hesitate to get rid of me, you listened to his ruling. Are you not an Alpha? Do you not make your own rules?”

“Our kind has laws we must live by,” Father started.

“Excuses,” I spat. “No one could separate me from my family and I’m not letting you keep me from what’s mine.” I ignored my mother’s gasp and kept my eyes on my father. “I, Shane, the rightful heir of the Half Moon pack challenge the Alpha.” He swallowed and I reveled in the small sign of his nerves. “I’m not the small pup you can slap around anymore, am I?” I asked.

“You were a failure, and I did my best to break that part of you, build you up into the leader you were supposed to be. I should have gotten rid of her when I noticed your scent on her. Maybe this could have been avoided.”

“You couldn’t have changed it, she belonged to me long before you smelled me on her.”

“I demand you let your mother go,” he said.

“She’s safer here.”

I didn’t wait for the response I knew was coming, I darted forward and my claws extended. I dug them into flesh and my mother’s scream echoed as I ripped off my father’s arm. He cried out in pain and he reached with his other arm to grab the bloody stub that was left. I threw the limb to the ground. His breathing sped up and he shut his eyes tightly. Footsteps drew nearer and my father’s eyes flew open and he glanced at her.

“Stay back,” he ordered.

Maximus took over and I released control of my physical form. I shifted into his wolf form. My father looked up at me with a look of a dead man as I stood firmly on all fours. I opened my jaw wide and I lunged for the man who had fathered me. Good fucking riddance.. The satisfying crunch of his defeat was music to my ears.